Tent having short pole sleeves

ABSTRACT

Tent ( 10 ) comprising a pole system comprising at least one tent pole ( 12 ) with two ends, a tent cover ( 14 ) which is to be supported by the pole system, and a fastening system which secures the tent cover ( 14 ) to the pole system, wherein the fastening system comprises a plurality of fastening elements ( 16 ) connected to the tent cover ( 14 ) and at least two receivings ( 18 ) for receiving the ends of the respective tent pole ( 12 ), the at least two receivings ( 18 ) being sleeve portions ( 18 ).

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a tent comprising a pole system comprising at least one tent pole with two ends, a tent cover which is to be supported by the pole system, and a fastening system which secures the tent cover to the pole system, wherein the fastening system comprises a plurality of fastening elements connected to the tent cover and at least two receivings for receiving the ends of the respective tent pole. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a tent cover comprising a tent layer and a sleeve portion extending along a sleeve axis at the tent layer, wherein the sleeve portion is defined between stitchings parallel to the sleeve axis and between two sleeve layers.

On the one hand, tents are known whose tent cover or tent layer is attached to tent poles via fastening elements, i.e. clip elements. Generally, there is provided an additional outer tent layer which is connected, for example via loops, to the tent poles and thereby covers the pole system of the tent. Thus, a higher stability of the tent can be achieved and a smooth outer tent surface can be provided which is less affected by wind. One disadvantage of these tents is that due to the necessary additional outer tent layer which also has to be attached to the tent in an additional assembling step assembly of these tents is quite time-consuming and difficult. However, a tent of this type without an additional outer tent layer does not offer sufficient stability.

On the other hand, tents are known having a continuous sleeve portion stitched at the outside of the tent cover receiving an entire pole tent. This type of tents does not need an additional outer tent layer, but an inner tent layer can be provided which has not to be disconnected from the tent cover assembling the tent. However, assembly of these tents is quite difficult and time-consuming since the entire tent pole has to be pushed into and received by the respective sleeve portion. Additionally, the stitched sleeve portion extending outwardly causes a larger wind-affected outer tent surface and e.g. rainwater and/or snow cannot sufficiently drain off of the tent cover.

Furthermore, tent covers are known comprising a tent layer and a sleeve portion extending along a sleeve axis at the tent layer, wherein the sleeve portion is defined between stitchings parallel to the sleeve axis and between the two sleeve layers. For the same reasons as set forth above, namely that the stitched sleeve portion extending outwardly causes a larger wind-affected outer tent surface and e.g. rainwater and/or snow cannot sufficiently drain off of the tent cover, an improved solution for a tent cover was required.

Under the above-mentioned circumstances it was an object of the present invention to provide an improved tent which can be quickly and easily assembled maintaining a high stability, in particular with respect to weather conditions such as wind, rain, snow, etc. as well as a respective tent cover with a sleeve portion offering less wind resistance and allowing rainwater and/or snow to easily drain off of the tent cover.

According to an aspect of the present invention, this object is achieved by a tent comprising a pole system comprising at least one tent pole with two ends, a tent cover which is to be supported by the pole system, and a fastening system which secures the tent cover to the pole system, wherein the fastening system comprises a plurality of fastening elements connected to the tent cover and at least two receivings for receiving the ends of the respective tent pole, the at least two receivings being sleeve portions.

A combination of the features of fastening elements connecting the tent cover and the tent poles and receivings, in particular sleeve portions, to receive the end of the respective tent pole to be received also combines the advantageously effects of both features, i.e. that the tent can be quickly and easily assembled due to the fastening elements to which the tent poles just have to be attached and that the assembled tent structure offers a high stability due to the sleeve portions which receive the tent pole ends over a predetermined length and thus support the tent structure in the most critical area with respect to the tent stability. Additionally, if an inner tent layer is provided, the inner tent layer has not to be disconnected from the tent cover or outer tent layer when assembling the tent.

Sleeve is herewith understood as a flexible tube or hose made of a textile material, in particular of a tent layer material, preferably of the same material as the tent cover. The sleeve portion is preferably attached to the tent cover or layer via at least two stitchings, one at each side.

In a preferred embodiment, the sleeve portions may have a length of between 10% and 50%, preferably between 25% and 45%, of the length of the respective tent pole to be received. Assuming a pole length of 2 to 4 m which is a usual pole length of tent poles in practice, the inventors have found out that the length of the sleeve portion receiving the respective tent pole has to be from 0.4 to 1 m to ensure a quick and easy assembling of the tent at the one hand and a high stability, e.g. with respect to wind, at the other hand. Comparing the length of the sleeve portions and the length of the tent poles leads to the above-mentioned proportional percentage-values.

Thereby, a minimum length of the sleeve portion of 10% of the respective tent pole to be received is necessary for a sufficient stability of the tent, e.g. with respect to wind, and an easy and quick assembly of the tent can still be implemented with a maximal length of the sleeve portion of 50% of the respective tent pole to be received.

The tent poles may be flexible such as to form an arc-shaped structure when tensioned and inserted into said receivings. It should be noted that the sleeve portions should be designed to be as long as possible such that a high stability of the tent can be achieved keeping in view an easy assembling of the tent without a high effort flexing a tent pole and threading it into the respective receiving sleeve portion.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, each sleeve portion may have an opening at an upper end, a diameter of which is greater than a diameter of the respective tent pole to be received such that a bottom end portion of the respective tent pole to be received can pass through said upper opening. The bottom end pole can be pushed or inserted into this upper opening such that the sleeve portion receives the respective tent pole to be received. Preferably, the edge of this upper opening may be strengthened.

Additionally, each sleeve portion may have an opening at a bottom end, a diameter of which is smaller than a diameter of the respective tent pole to be received such that the bottom end portion of the respective tent pole to be received cannot pass through said bottom opening. Furthermore, each sleeve portion may have an opening at the bottom end, the opening being non-concentric with respect to a sleeve axis of the sleeve portion such that the bottom end portion of the respective tent pole to be received cannot pass through said bottom opening. The lower portion of each sleeve portion serves as an abutment surface for the bottom end of the respective tent pole to be received by the respective sleeve portion such that the pole system can be inserted into the sleeve portion and can be tensioned when the bottom end of the respective tent pole to be received by the respective sleeve portion abuts at the abutment surface of the lower portion of each sleeve portion. The bottom opening is provided such that for example rainwater and/or snow may drain off and is not being stowed in the sleeve portion. Preferably, the edges of these bottom openings may be strengthened.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the sleeve portion may be open on the upper end and substantially closed at the bottom end such that the bottom end of the respective tent pole to be received by the respective sleeve portion abuts at the substantially closed bottom end of the sleeve portion and the pole system can be tensioned.

Preferably, each sleeve portion may have an opening at the bottom end, the opening being covered by a strap portion which is provided at the bottom end of the sleeve portions such that the bottom end portion of the respective tent pole to be received cannot pass through the bottom opening. The strap portion may receive a loop-shaped cable portion which is connected to the strap portion. According to this preferred embodiment, the strap portion which preferably is made of a material stronger than that of the sleeve portions serves as an abutment for the bottom end of the respective tent pole to be received by the respective sleeve portion and stops the same. Furthermore, the strap portion can receive a loop-shaped cable portion. With the loop-shaped cable portion, it is possible to secure the tent to the ground via tent pegs for anchoring the tent for example being made of a metal material such as aluminum. Preferably, to save weight the loop-shaped cable may be a textile rope.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fastening elements connected to the tent cover may be clip elements. Providing clip elements for connecting the tent poles to the tent cover allows a quite easy and fast assembling of the tent by just clicking the tent pole into the receiving clips at the respective positions. However, it is also possible to provide other fastening elements such as loops, textile ropes, elastic bands, hooks, magnets, push-buttons, etc.

Furthermore, in an embodiment of the present invention, the pole system is arranged outside of the tent cover. It would also be possible to arrange the pole system inside of the tent cover, but the placement at its outside eases assembly of the tent. Thus, it is desired that the pole system is exposed at the tent outside, except the end portions of the tent poles which are covered by the receiving sleeve portions.

Additionally, the tent cover may comprise an inner layer and an outer layer which are spaced apart from each other such that for example humidity can be kept off the tent interior and a comfortable climate inside the tent interior can be obtained, preventing air of either quite high or quite low temperature to pass into the tent interior by providing a multilayer tent cover consisting of at least the above-mentioned inner and outer layer which may be connected via connection means or may be formed integrally as a single unit such that an even faster assembling of the tent could be achieved. Generally, if inner and outer tent layer are not being formed integrally, the pole system could be arranged between the inner tent layer and the outer tent layer. However, due to a more complicated and thus more time-consuming assembly of this configuration, preferably, the pole system may be arranged at the outside of the outer layer being exposed at the tent outside, the ends of the tent poles being covered by the receiving sleeve portions.

Preferably, the at least one tent pole may be composed of a plurality of several pole parts such that the pole system is collapsible or foldable into a compact form. The several pole parts may be hollow, may be connected via a plug-type connection, may be threadedly engagable, etc. and may be held together via a preferably stretchable rope or cable extending at the inside of the hollow pole parts.

According to a further aspect, the object of the present invention is achieved by a tent cover comprising a tent layer and a sleeve portion extending along a sleeve axis at the tent layer, wherein the sleeve portion is defined between stitchings parallel to the sleeve axis and between two sleeve layers, and wherein the two sleeve layers have substantially equal width in a direction orthogonal to the sleeve axis. The tent layer may be intermitted at the stitchings parallel to the sleeve axis and opposing edges of the intermitted tent layer are connected to one another by the two sleeve layers. With this configuration, the wind-exposed area of the tent cover can be reduced with respect to the tent covers of tents known in the prior art, where a tent layer is just stitched onto a tent cover from the outside of the tent cover to form a sleeve portion receiving a respective tent pole. As an additional result, rainwater and/or snow can easily drain off of the tent cover.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the two sleeve layers may be symmetrical with respect to the sleeve axis such that the wind-exposed area of the tent cover can be halved with respect to tent covers having sleeve portions which are stitched onto the tent covers from the outside since the sleeve axis of the sleeve portion lies on the plane of the tent layer and the tent cover.

The present invention is further illustrated by the following description of an exemplifying embodiment shown in the attached drawings as follows. In particular,

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a tent according to an embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a sleeve portion of a tent cover of the tent of the embodiment,

FIG. 3 shows another perspective view of a bottom end of the sleeve portion of the tent cover of the tent of the embodiment, and

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the tent cover comprising a tent layer and the sleeve portion of the tent of the embodiment as well as an enlarged view of an edge portion of the tent layer.

With reference to FIG. 1, the general construction of a tent 10 according to the exemplifying embodiment of the present invention will be described in the following.

The tent 10 comprises a pole system comprising at least one tent pole 12 with a length of between 2 and 4 m, a tent cover 14 which is to be supported by the pole system and a fastening system. The fastening system comprises a plurality of fastening elements 16, e.g. clip elements, connected to the tent cover 14 and at least two receivings 18 for receiving the ends of the respective tent pole 12 to be received. The receivings 18 are sleeve portions 18 which are provided sideward at a lower part of the tent cover have a length of between 0.4 and 1 m and are made of a textile material, i.e. of the same material as the tent cover 14, and preferably are stitched to the tent cover 14. The sleeve portions 18 may be provided with an upper opening 20 and a bottom opening 22 which will be described in detail referring to FIGS. 2 to 4.

Advantageously, the pole system and thereby the individual poles 12 can be arranged outside the tent cover 14. Thus, a middle portion of the tent poles may be exposed at the tent outside whereas end portions 13 (see FIGS. 2 and 4) of the tent poles 12 are covered by the sleeve portions 18 which receive the end portions 13 of the tent poles 12. The exposed middle portion of each tent pole 12 is held by the fastening system, i.e. by the clip elements 16, alternatively by loops, textile ropes, elastic bands, hooks, magnets, push buttons, etc.

Moreover, the tent 10 may comprise an inner tent layer (not shown) and an outer tent layer 14 (tent cover). Inner and outer layer may be spaced apart from each other and may be connected via not shown connection means or may be formed integrally as a single unit. It would also be possible to arrange the pole system between inner and outer tent layer if inner and outer tent layer are not formed integrally.

Preferably, the tent poles 12 are flexible such that the tent 10 forms an arc-shaped structure when the tent poles 12 are tensioned and inserted into the sleeve portions 18. Each tent pole 12 is composed of a plurality of several pole parts (not shown) which are preferably hollow such that each pole 12 is collapsible or foldable and the pole system can be packed into a compact form. The several pole parts may be connected via a plug-type connection, may be threadedly engagable, etc. and may be held together via a preferably stretchable rope or cable extending at the inside of the hollow pole parts.

With reference to FIGS. 2 to 4, one of the sleeve portions 18 as well as the tent cover 14, in the region in which the sleeve portion 18 is arranged, according to the exemplifying preferred embodiment will be described in the following.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the tent cover 14 comprising the sleeve portion 18 and a tent layer 30. The sleeve portion 18 having the sleeve axis A at the tent layer 30 as a center axis may be attached to the tent layer 30 via stitchings S1-S4 parallel to said sleeve axis A. It is also possible that more than four stitchings are provided, or just two stitchings, one on each side of the sleeve portion 18 formed by two sleeve layers 32 a, 32 b (described below) having substantially equal width in a direction orthogonal to the sleeve axis A. However, a number of four stitchings S1-S4 seemed to be an optimal solution with respect to effort of manufacturing and stability since more than four stitchings do only entail a minimum increase of stability of the connection. Alternatively, the sleeve layers 32 a, 32 b could also be attached to the tent layer 30 in any other suitable manner, e.g. by gluing.

As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, the sleeve portion 18, preferably being made of a textile tent material, i.e. the same material as the tent layer 30, receives a bottom end portion 13 of the respective tent pole 12 of the pole system to be received through an upper opening 20. The tent pole 12 then is covered by the sleeve portion 18 in a lower portion having a length of about 0.4 to 1 m and is outwardly exposed on the outside of the tent cover 14 in a middle portion. Obviously, a diameter of the upper opening 20 has to be greater than a diameter of the tent pole 12 to be received by the sleeve portion 18 such that the bottom end portion 13 of the tent pole 12 can pass through said upper opening 20.

Furthermore, the sleeve portion may have an opening 22 at a bottom end. In the exemplifying embodiment the bottom opening 22 is covered by a strap portion 24 serving as an abutment for the end portion 13 of the received tent pole 12 and stopping the same. The strap portion 24, preferably being made of a textile material stronger than the tent layer 30, is arranged such that a free space between an edge of the bottom opening 22 of the sleeve portion 18 and the strap portion 24 itself is kept in which a loop-shaped cable portion 26, i.e. a textile rope 26, can be inserted. The preferred textile rope 26 can be inserted into the receiving strap portion 24 and its ends can be connected, e.g. by knotting the ends of the rope to obtain a closed loop. The loop-shaped cable portion 26 is provided to receive fastening means such as ropes, i.e. textile ropes, or tent pegs for anchoring the tent 10. Another purpose of this free space of the bottom opening 22 is that for example rainwater and/or snow may drain off through it and is not being stowed in the sleeve portion 18.

As an alternative to the above-mentioned strap portion 24 being attached at the bottom opening 22, this object could also be achieved by either providing the bottom opening 22 with a diameter which is smaller than a diameter of the respective tent pole 12 to be received or by arranging the bottom opening 22 non-concentric with respect to the sleeve axis A of the sleeve portion 18, the respective edges of the bottom openings 22 being preferably strengthened. Both opportunities (not shown) ensure that the respective tent pole 12 to be received cannot pass through the bottom opening 22 and moreover, that rainwater and/or snow may drain off through said space at the bottom opening 22.

An additional strap 28 (see FIG. 3) can be provided and attached, e.g. stitched or glued, at the side of the strap portion 24 directed outwardly for e.g. receiving additional fastening means such as ropes, i.e. textile ropes, or anchoring pegs.

FIG. 4 shows in detail the structure and arrangement of the tent layer 30 and the sleeve portion 18 formed by and defined between two sleeve layers 32 a, 32 b. The two sleeve layers 32 a, 32 b have substantially equal width in a direction orthogonal to a sleeve axis A. In addition, an enlarged view of an edge portion of the tent layer 30 is shown.

In the preferred embodiment according to FIG. 4, the tent layer 30 is intermitted at the stitchings S1, S2; S3, S4 parallel to the sleeve axis A and opposing edges 30 a, 30 b of the intermitted tent layer 30 are connected to one another by the two sleeve layers 32 a, 32 b. The two sleeve layers 32 a, 32 b may be symmetrical with respect to the sleeve axis A. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the sleeve portion 18 being formed of the sleeve layer 32 a facing the outside of the tent 10 and the sleeve layer 32 b facing the tent interior or the space between inner and outer tent layer is intermitted at a connection point 34 a and connected to the tent layer 30 via stitchings S1 and S2. The edges of the sleeve layers 32 a, 32 b are placed one above another and wrapped into the edge of the tent layer 30 in an area that is slightly larger than the distance between the stitchings S1 and S2 such that the stitching connection can be realized. Connection of the opposing edges of the sleeve layers 32 a, 32 b to the other tent layer 30 at connection point 34 b at the other side of the sleeve portion 18 is implemented via stitchings S3 and S4 in an arrangement mirrored with respect to the sleeve axis A.

The arrangement of the sleeve portion 18 as described above involves a flat tent interface having a minor wind-exposed area than the interface of tents known in prior art solutions since the center axis of the tent pole 12 substantially is aligned with and/or lies on the same plane as the sleeve axis A.

Another additional strap 36 can be provided and attached, e.g. stitched or glued, at the outer sleeve layer 32a near the upper opening 20 of the sleeve layer 18 such that the strap 36 can be pulled when inserting the respective tent pole 12 to be received through the upper opening 20 into the sleeve layer 18 in order to enlarge the opening 20 and thereby to ease insertion of the tent pole 12.

The specific example provided in the description given above should not be construed as limiting. Therefore, the invention is not limited merely to the embodiment described above. 

1.-16. (canceled)
 17. A tent comprising: a pole system comprising at least one tent pole with two ends; a tent cover which is to be supported by the pole system; and, a fastening system which secures the tent cover to the pole system, wherein the fastening system comprises a plurality of fastening elements connected to the tent cover and at least two receivings for receiving the ends of the respective tent pole, the at least two receivings being sleeve portions.
 18. The tent of claim 17, wherein the sleeve portions have a length of between 10% and 50% of the length of the respective tent pole to be received.
 19. The tent of claim 17, wherein the tent poles are flexible such as to form an arc-shaped structure when tensioned and inserted into said receivings.
 20. The tent of claim 17, wherein each sleeve portion has an opening at an upper end, a diameter of which is greater than a diameter of the respective tent pole to be received such that a bottom end portion of the respective tent pole to be received can pass through said upper opening.
 21. The tent of claim 17, wherein each sleeve portion has an opening at a bottom end, a diameter of which is smaller than a diameter of the respective tent pole to be received such that the bottom end portion of the respective tent pole to be received cannot pass through said bottom opening.
 22. The tent of claim 17, wherein each sleeve portion has an opening at the bottom end, the opening being non-concentric with respect to a sleeve axis of the sleeve portion such that the bottom end portion of the respective tent pole to be received cannot pass through said bottom opening.
 23. The tent of claim 17, wherein the sleeve portion is open on the upper end and substantially closed at the bottom end.
 24. The tent of claim 17, wherein each sleeve portion has an opening at the bottom end, the opening being covered by a strap portion which is provided at the bottom end of the sleeve portions such that the bottom end portion of the respective tent pole to be received cannot pass through the bottom opening.
 25. The tent of claim 17, wherein the strap portion receives a loop-shaped cable portion which is connected to the strap portion.
 26. The tent of claim 17, wherein the fastening elements connected to the tent cover are clip elements.
 27. The tent of claim 17, wherein the pole system is arranged outside of the tent cover.
 28. The tent of claim 17, wherein the tent cover comprises an inner layer and an outer layer which are spaced apart from each other.
 29. The tent of claim 17, wherein the at least one tent pole is composed of a plurality of several pole parts such that the pole system is collapsible or foldable into a compact form.
 30. A tent cover comprising: a tent layer; and, a sleeve portion extending along a sleeve axis at the tent layer, wherein the sleeve portion is defined between stitchings parallel to the sleeve axis and between two sleeve layers, and wherein the two sleeve layers have substantially equal width in a direction orthogonal to the sleeve axis.
 31. The tent cover of claim 30, wherein the tent layer is intermitted at the stitchings parallel to the sleeve axis, and opposing edges of the intermitted tent layer are connected to one another by the two sleeve layers.
 32. The tent cover of claim 30, wherein the two sleeve layers are symmetrical with respect to the sleeve axis.
 33. The tent of claim 17, wherein the sleeve portions have a length of between 25% and 45% of the length of the respective tent pole to be received. 